„Die Zeichen stehen auf Forschung und ... - Wirtschaftsjournal

Increasing the pace
The Saxony Automotive Supplier Network AMZ is broadening the issues
Über AMZ
Zentrale Anliegen der Verbund -
initiative Automobilzulieferer
Sachsen sind die Initiierung und
Begleitung von Produkt- und
Technologieentwick lungen – von
der Idee bis zum Serienstart –
sowie die nachhaltige Stärkung
sächsischer Unternehmen der
Automobilzuliefererindustrie
About the AMZ
The primary objective of the
Saxon Automotive Supplier
Network AMZ is to initiate and
accompany product and techno -
logical developments – from
the initial idea to the start of
mass production – as well as to
strengthen the sustainability of
Saxon enterprises in the auto -
motive supplier industry.
www.amz-sachsen.de
Verbundinitiative
Automobilzulieferer Sachsen
RKW Sachsen GmbH
Dienstleistung und Beratung
Niederlassung Chemnitz
Annaberger Straße 240
09125 Chemnitz/Germany
Telefon: +49 371 5347-334
Telefax: +49 371 5347-294
info@amz-sachsen.de
www.amz-sachsen.de
wirtschaftsjournal.de/id12011201
"We were never sailing through calm waters. How -
ever, in light of the challenges that the automo tive
industry is facing as a whole, the pace had to be
increased again in order to put the Saxon com panies
in a strong position," says the manager of the ini -
tiative, Prof. Dr. Manfred Bornmann, outlining the
tasks the Saxony Automotive Supplier Network AMZ
has set itself for 2012.
He points out that since 1999 the AMZ has substantially
promoted the close networking of companies with each
other, as well as between industry and science, with over
280 cooperative and technology projects. The partners know
each other and come together directly. "Our focus is now
on supporting the mostly small suppliers with regard to
issues that are difficult for them to overcome on their own.
In order to take full advantage of common strengths we
want to integrate individual regional and specialist initiatives
on the subject of the automotive industry in Saxony
under our roof," the AMZ manager says. The main issues
are finding and retaining specialists, access to international
markets, mastering key technologies such as electro
mobility and process optimization tasks. "We will be even
more committed to these issues in the future and form even
stronger links with our project management in the process,"
Prof. Bornmann stresses.
Initiated by the Saxon State Ministry for Economic Affairs,
Labor and Transport, the AMZ has been working under the
auspices of RKW Sachsen GmbH from the outset. For over
20 years the service and consultancy company has found
success as a quality assurer for sponsored consultancy, as
an initiator and manager of projects and networks, and as
a consultancy and further education expert.
Opening of the AMZ Academy in April
In recent years, RKW Sachsen and the AMZ have carried
out various projects to draw attention to the effects of demographic
change and ways to counter it. "This issue is now
affecting small and medium-sized businesses, sometimes
very acutely," says Prof. Bornmann of the situation. In setting
up an AMZ Academy, the network aims to help companies
train specialists and managers. The partners are all
universities of applied sciences in Saxony and selected
AUTOWELT Eastern Germany 2012
educational institutions, which each offer special modules.
Bornmann explains their approach: "We are setting the
academy up as a virtual institution and are basically acting
on behalf of the companies. This means that we determine
the exact needs of the economy and develop the range
of qualifications based on that." The AMZ Academy will
be opened with an inaugural event on April 17th 2012 in
Leipzig.
Offer of contribution to
"showcase electric mobility"
One main subject for the Academy will be the multiple facets
of electro mobility. The AMZ is not only focusing on the challenges
facing suppliers, but also the requirements placed
on vehicle workshops, testing facilities and technical equipment.
The initiative has also included training opport unities
for mastering this key technology in Saxony's application
for the "showcase electric mobility" federal project.
Synergies from the services of RKW Sachsen
New drives such as electrically-powered vehicles require,
among other things, new ways of supplying energy. In this,
the AMZ can form synergies with other projects and ser -
vices under the aegis of its project management. This in -
cludes consultation on measures to promote energy saving
and material efficiency. In the Cleantech Initiative Ostdeutschland,
RKW Sachsen is working on behalf of the Federal
Ministry of the Interior to pool the innovative potential
which exists in the new federal states for environmentally
sound, energy-efficient and resource-conserving products
and technology. More than ever, Saxon companies are having
to seize opportunities on international markets. This is
particularly significant in the automotive industry, with its
global set-up. For this reason, the AMZ launched a new
competence cluster, the Automotive Clusters Ostdeutschland,
in January 2012, which is dedicated to international
markets and cooperations.
Wirtschaftsjournal | Januar 2012
13